maim
/meɪm/ (bre, ipa) · [mˈem] /meɪm/ (ame, ipa) · [mˈem] /ˈmām/ (ame, mw)
maim — verb
- maimpresent simple I / you / we / they
- maimshe / she / it
- maimedpast simple
- maiming-ing form
1. to hurt someone badly enough that an arm, a leg, an eye, or another body part is
to hurt someone badly enough that an arm, a leg, an eye, or another body part is permanently harmed or completely lost.
A landmine explosion maimed Santi's uncle during the war, destroying his left leg.
passive context: be maimed by [explosive device] in [conflict]
A faulty machine at the factory maimed Diego's right hand, crushing three of his fingers.
active: [machine/object] + maim + [body part]
The bomb blast maimed more than twenty people at the market that afternoon.
Kwame will never forget the day a wild dog maimed his sister near their village.
Dr. Okafor has treated many soldiers who were maimed in combat over the past decade.
- cripple
focuses on loss of mobility, especially the ability to walk; can be used figuratively
- mutilate
emphasises cutting off or damaging a body part, with focus on disfigurement
- disable
broader; includes any loss of function, which may be temporary or caused by illness, not just trauma
- wound
usually implies an open injury from a weapon; does not always mean permanent damage
文法句型
maim + somebody
be maimed + by + cause
be maimed + in + context
用法筆記
This word is stronger than injure or hurt. It always suggests lasting physical harm. Frequently used in news reporting about war, industrial accidents, and explosive devices. The passive form (be maimed by / in) is very common.
常見錯誤
maim — noun
1. a state of serious physical harm or disfigurement.
a state of serious physical harm or disfigurement.
In early English law, 'maim' meant an injury taking away the use of a limb.
rare noun: 'the term maim' in historical legal context
The old textbook defined maim as a permanent wound leaving the victim disabled for life.
In medieval law, maim was considered a crime equal to the loss of a limb.
The noun 'maim' appears mainly in historical or legal writing, not in everyday speech.
用法筆記
This noun sense is very rare in modern English. The verb form is used far more often. In most contexts, injury or trauma is preferred.
2. a serious or damaging loss, especially one that weakens something.
a serious or damaging loss, especially one that weakens something.
In a journal article, a historian called the fire 'a maim to the city's cultural heritage.'
rare figurative noun: used with scare quotes in academic writing
Linguists rarely find 'maim' used figuratively — it is far rarer than 'blow' or 'damage'.
A local writer called the closures 'an economic maim the town may never escape.'
'Maim' can work as a figurative noun, but most writers prefer 'blow' or 'crippling loss.'
用法筆記
This figurative noun sense is extremely rare. It is primarily literary or rhetorical. Most speakers use loss or damage in place of this noun.